Bargaining with Death
by O.O TT.TT Lolz
Summary: It started off with a plane crash and snowballed from there. In the time in between the plane crash and the avalanche Lexi Grey learned the rules of bargaining with death.
1. Lesson Number One

The world Lexie Grey awoke to was not what she would call a nice one. The lower half of her body was crushed beneath a chunk of the plane she and her colleagues had been flying in. She could feeling her left arm and didn't even know if it was still there. Worst of all though, was that she was alone and that meant she didn't know if her friends and sister were even alive. Her right hand struggled to find anything to make noise. Finally, it happened upon a seat belt buckle. And so with what little strength she had left she began to knock the buckle against the debris that was crushing her to death.

* * *

He'd come to these woods for silence. Peace away from Niklaus and the rest of his troublesome siblings. The silence he so sought after however was quickly destroyed when a booming crash shattered his little oasis.

Elijah Mikaelson felt himself pulled towards the noise, ever seeking redemption for his past discretions.

* * *

Lexi knew she must have been on the cusp of dying when before her eyes appeared a handsome man dressed in a clean suit. She thought that she surely must have been hallucinating. How else, would a man clearly not dressed for hiking end up this far into the woods? The man bent down to her level and placed a hand on the plane.

"Hello, my name's Elijah. What's your name," his smooth british voice asked.

"L-lexi- Alexandra Grey," she gasped out around the blood pooling in her mouth.

"Alexandra Grey, it's very nice to meet you. I'm going to lift this piece of wreckage off you now. It'll hurt but try to bear with me."

"Is not- not humanly possible," Lexi stuttered.

"No, it most certainly is not," Elijah muttered, as he stood up.

"No," Lexi insisted, grabbing onto his leg.

Elijah looked down at her.

"I'm a lost cause, but my friends- they might not be. Go to them."

"Alexandra I will help you all as best I can, but you need to trust me. I know that I am a stranger and giving me your trust is a fool's bargain, but it is the only choice you currently have."

Lexi blinked and in that time the wreckage was flung away from her and sent crashing into the trees. The relief she felt was brief as the lower half of her body and left arm were flooded with pain. A mute scream burst through her lips. Elijah knelt before her once more. He bit his wrist and then press his open wound to her mouth. Lexi panicked as the warm blood trickled into her system. Darkness prickled at her vision and then consumed her entirely. Elijah sighed and stood. He supposed he should move on to the others, but something compelled him to stay with the brave girl who had just passed out. Over a thousand years old and he was compelled to stay by the side of a strange woman who was by all means a child compared to him.

* * *

The second world Lexie Grey awoke to was infinitely better to the previous one.

"At last she has awoken," Elijah commented, making his presence known.

"I was crushed. I should be dead," Lexi rambled bluntly."What the hell did you do to me?"

The corners of Elijah's lips twitched upwards.

"Well seeing as you're not going to remember I can see no harm in telling you."

He stood from the tree trunk he'd been sitting on and sauntered over to her.

"I have a photographic memory, so not remembering isn't really an option."

"I'm a vampire and an original one at that. I heard the plane crash, came to investigate, and saved your live by feeding you my blood," he responded matter of factly.

Lexie opened her mouth and then promptly closed it. The brunette's memory came crashing down on her.

"Oh my god, you're not- Are you gonna kill me? You probably don't want to do that. I stress eat a lot and my blood is basically sugar and that can't be good for your clestroll. Do vampires have clestroll?"

Elijah chuckled at her rambling.

"I wouldn't save you just to kill you, though I would appreciant it if you follow me now," he replied, stepping towards her.

Lexi instinctively took a step back.

"I can't just leave my friends-"

"I checked on them, from a far granted. They have no way of communicating the outside world. Seeing as you're now the best off of all

of them. I figured I could show you out of the woods, so you can then get help."

Lexi looked at him hesitantly.

"You aren't afraid of me knowing that you're- that you're… Well you know…"

"A vampire? Not at all as I said before-"

"You don't expect me to remember."

"Vampires having this ability where we can compel humans to do our bidding. Once you are safe, I will have you forget me and all the oddities that have transpired between us."

"My memory's never failed me before, Elijah," she countered, also smirking at him.

He stood up straighter. Lexi tensed and jerked back. Elijah relaxed seeing her reaction. He chuckled and pulled out a business card from his pocket.

"How about a deal?"

Lexi's eyes narrowed and her eyebrows puckered together. Her focus flicked between Elijah and the card in his hand, the name and phone number on it instantly ironing itself into her memory.

"If by some impossible chance you do remember, you may call me and ask for anything you so desire. Sound good?"

Lexi shrugged.

"I don't see why not."

Elijah nodded.

"Very well then, Alexandra."

No sooner had those words left his mouth when Lexi was pulled off her feet. The world around her blurred. She had just begun to register that arms were around her when Elijah set her down. They were on a street now the forest framing it on either side of it. Lexi spun around trying to get her bearings.

"What- how'd did you do that?"

"Enhanced speed," Elijah answered with a shrug.

"That's amazing," she snorted, a dazed smile spreading across her face."Completely terrifying but amazing nonetheless."

Elijah smiled at her. Suddenly, his head snapped towards one end of the road.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Alexandra Grey," Elijah admitted, stepping towards her.

He quickly placed a chaste kiss on her hand.

"A car will be here in about thirty second. When it gets here you'll forget all about me. You will however remember that thirty miles northeast of here your friends are waiting."

Lexi could just make out the rumble of a car in the distance. Elijah was gone in bur, and leaving her there to flag down the car.

"You can call me Lexi," she trailed off, realizing her savior was already gone.

**Lesson Number One: Death always gets the last word.**


	2. Lesson Number Two

The next few weeks were a blur of check ups and interviews. Arizona's leg had to be amputated, Derek was faced with the fact that he might never operate again, Christina was catatonic, and Mark was in a coma. Lexi was burdened with Julia's hateful scorn after Mark had told her that he loved Lexi after Julia had told him she loved him. The others had thought that Lexi had died when they'd been unable to find her after the crash. So when she appeared with a rescue team those who were conscious thought she was a ghost.

After sometime Lexi and the others, with the exception of Mark, were allowed back at work. The younger Grey was hesitant to call Elijah. The entire encounter had been so mind boggling that she almost wanted to believe that it was all just made up by her brain to help her cope. But as the deadline for Mark to be taken off life support approached, Lexi became more desperate.

It was with this desperation that she finally sat down and called the mysterious man that had saved her.

"Hello?"

"I remember," Lexi blurted out. She mentally scolded herself for being so tackless.

"... That's impossible."

"Elijah, I remember you and our deal."

She could almost feel him frown through the phone.

"Meet me at Joe's bar tonight at ten."

Lexie glanced at the clock.

"That's in ten minutes."

"I'm aware of that, Alexandra."

Lexie hung up and quickly made her way to Joe's.

* * *

They had been sitting there for seventeen minutes and thirty-two seconds without saying a world to one another. Not that Lexi was counting. They just looked at each other, each unable to accept the existence of the other.

"Were you serious about what you said," Lexi asked, stealing her resolve.

"I am a man of my word, ,"Elijah sighed tiredly.

He averted his gaze to look instead at the grimy bar table.

"I want you to give someone your blood."

Elijah's gazed immediately snapped to hers. He lead towards her, over the table. His demeanor went from weary to foreboding.

"You know not what you ask," he muttered darkly.

"I do. Your blood heal me. It saved my life and- Theres a man, okay? He's a wonderful man who saves lives and has a sweet little girl who needs her daddy. He was in the same crash as me and while I'm sure that i'm asking too much from you I doing this because he deserves to live."

Lexi breathed heavily through her nose. Tear clouded her only stared at her while tapping the table with three of the fingers on his left hand. Lexi stared right back at him willing him to agree to her futile wish.

"Alright."

"What," Lexi blanched,"you'll do it?"

Elijah stood and straightened his jacket.

"Isn't that what I said," he testily replied.

Without a second thought Lexi jumped up and hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Elijah stiffly returned the hug. Lexi stepped back and chuckled awkwardly.

"His name is Mark Sloan."

Elijah inclined his head slightly.

"That will be enough information. Goodnight, Alexandra."

And once more in a blur he was gone leaving Lexi with only the hope that he upheld his end of the bargain.

**Lesson Number Two: Death is bound to his word.**


	3. Lesson Number Three

The next day was Lexie's day off, but she spent it in the hospital by Mark's side. She clasped his hand in hers while rambling aimlessly about her current patients. When Marks fingers slowly began to twitch around her small hand, Lexi froze.

"Mark, can you hear me?"

Mark groaned and rolled his head to face her. Lexi released the breath she's been holding as he opened his eye.

"Lexie," his dry voice croaked.

Lexi burst into tears and handed him a cup of water. Mark looked exceedingly confused, but he drank the cup down non the less.

"So, I died then," he sighed, weakly caressing her cheek.

Lexi placed her hand over his and happily shook her head.

"No, no, you're alive. We're alive and I love you more than anything."

"But in the forest, we couldn't find you and- and I thought..."

"I went to get help."

Mark's blue eyes slowly lit up.

"We're alive," he exclaimed happily, beaming at her.

He moved to sit up and clasped both of her hands in his.

"But what about the others? Derek, Arizona-"

"They're all alive. Only the pilot didn't make it."

They sat there gazing lovingly at each other.

"There's more but," Lexi trailed off.

Mark nodded in understanding.

"But right now you should go get a nurse," he finished for her. "Don't leave. A nurse will be by eventually."

She smiled at his pleading face.

"I'm never leaving you again," she promised, kissing him soundly on the lips.

"Not if I can help it, Little Grey," he whispered, smirking.

* * *

It was nighttime and Lexi had retired to her attic room in Meredith's house. She sat cross legged on her bed as she toweled off her damp hair. Her phone buzzed on her bedside table. She bent back and snatched it up.

"Hello, Alexandra."

Lexie dropped her hair brush, gobsmacked.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, no, I just, um, I didn't expect to hear from you ever again," she clumsily mumbled.

There was a long pause during which Lexie wondered if he was waiting for her to say something else.

"Um, what's up?"

She heard him snort through the phone.

"Of all the things you could have said to a thousand year old being," he chuckled, trying to contain his mild laughter.

Lexie settled back against her headboard.

"Well you don't seem like the type who'd be cool with my sobbing my thanks over the phone,"she countered easily.

"You are correct about that," he agreed.

There was another long pause.

"Not that I mind, but why are you calling, Elijah?"

"You intrigue me Alexandra Grey. Not many being can do that."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is. I'm sure I must intrigue you as well. As a doctor you must be curious."

Lexi chewed on her lip.

"I am but I'm not going to push anything. I'm happy just accepting it as a miracle."

"Meet me for dinner tomorrow night."

Lexi went slack jawed.

"I feel we could both benefit from a meeting," he continued.

"Hold on, you can't just come in here with your expensive suits and smooth british accent and tell me what to do," she fumed, her voice rising in volume as she spoke.

"Lexi, are you okay up there? Are you with someone," Meredith asked from the bottom of the stair.

Lexi pressed her hand to the mouthpiece of her phone.

"I'm fine, Mer. Fine and alone,"she called back to her.

"Okay, just checking," Meredith replied, her eyes narrowed slightly. She could sence something was off about her sister. The blonde sighed and continued on her way to put Zola to bed.

"Shall I pick you up outside of the hospital after your shift?"

Lexi rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"Yes, I suppose you shall," she conceded.

**Lesson Number Three: Death is pushy.**


	4. Lesson Number Four

Lexie tiredly pulled her scrubs off and went to grab her purse from her cubby. It'd been an exhausting seven hour surgery. Originally it was plan to only be five hours, but the patients brain had started bleeding. Shepherded and Lexie had mange to stop the it for now, but the patient was still in critical condition. She stopped by Mark's room briefly to say goodnight.

"What's the hurry, Grey. Stay a bit," Callie insisted from her place sitting crossed legged on Mark's bed.

Lexie gave Mark's hand a squeeze. She forced a strained smile onto her face.

"Next time, I just have some stuff that needs to get done," she promised.

"Come on Lex, do it some other time,"Mark urged."I'm practically going mad having to stay in this damn bed all day."

Lexie released his hand and bent forwards to kiss his cheek.

"Love you," she said while pulling back.

"Love you more," Mark sighed poutily.

"See ya tomorrow," Callie said.

Lexie nodded and moved towards the door.

"You're killing me here, Little Grey,"Mark shouted from within his room.

Lexi and Callie snorted.

* * *

True to his word, Elijah stood just outside the entrance of the hospital waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late a surgery ran longer than expected."

Elijah nodded and offered her his arm.

"Shall we?"

Lexi looked at the appendage hesitantly.

"I just wanna make it clear that this isn't a date or anything romantic like that," she declared, gesticulating mildly.

Elijah's face remained impassive.

"I agree. This is a business meeting," he replied.

His arm remained where it was. Lexi blushed.

"Right, of course I just wanted to make that clear," she mumbled in embarrassment.

She loosely paced her arm around his and allowed him to lead the way. They passed Joe's and walked for a few more blocks till coming to a dimly lit restaurant. They were seated at a table hidden away in the corner.

"Right, so, um, what are you going to get," Lexi asked, not looking up from the menu.

When only silence replied to her she looked up to Elijah raising an eyebrow at her.

"Right you probably don't," She set her menu down. "How do you want this to work?"

"As a doctor, you are free to ask me anything pertaining to my physiology,"Elijah quickly replied, leaning forward. The faintest smile present on his lips as he rested his head on his knuckles ."However any questions you voice will be in trade for one of my own."

Lexi pushed her menu aside and leaned forwards as well.

"Okay, can you eat normal food."

"Yes, though it wouldn't do anything for me. Why did you tell me to go after your friends that day?"

Lexi bit her lip. Her eyes lost focus as she gazed at the wall pensively.

"I there was a snowballs chance in hell that I would have lived. My friend though, even if I couldn't be sure, they had a better chance than me. I love them,"she cleared her throat and looked down."Human blood vs animal blood?"

"Animal blood does not fully quench the thirst. Weren't you scared?"

"Of course I was. I was terrified. Do you go through and physical changes before feeding?"

Black veins sprouted around his now red eyes as he opened his mouth revealing his fangs. Lexi jumped back startled. Elijah's face slowly morphed back to its usual somber expression.

"Did that scare you?"

"It definitely startled me. Do you have a family," Lexi asked after a pause.

"I have a sister and a very troublesome brother. I had three other brother but they and my mother and father are dead."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you for your condolence, but it's unneeded. As you can imagine, all this time has twisted us all."

"Years of love forgotten in the hatred of a minute," Lexi quoted quietly.

Elijah raised his head and crossed his arms against the table.

"How very astute of you."

Lexi leaned back in her chair and shrugged.

"If my family were to live that long we'd bound to find problems with each other at some point."

"What about you?"

Lexi's eyebrows scrunched together.

"What do you mean?"

"You asked a personal question, now I've asked one in return."

Their waitress arrived and deposited a bread basket along with their waters. Lexi rushed to the menu and ordered the first thing she saw. Elijah merely asked for a bottle of wine for the both of them.

"I have two sisters and my father. My sisters have one daughter each," she choppily stated.

"What of your mother," Elijah asked, setting her with an inquisitive look.

"She died," Lexi.

The waitress returned with the bottle of wine and filled both their glasses.

"Anyway,"Lexi said briskly changing the subject."Do you have a heart beat?"

Elijah swirled the wine in his glass.

"No."

Lexi looked at him cynical. He smirked and pushed his wrist across the table towards her. Lexi reach her hand out and placed it over his, discreetly checking for his pulse. Pale fingers skated across tan skin as the doctor's search came up empty. Lexi couldn't keep the wonder from her face.

Suddenly, Lexi's pager began blaring. She pulled her hand back sharply and turned her attention to the noisy device.

"I have to go back to work,"she said in a rush of breath.

Elijah stood when she did and opened her coat for her.

"Thank you, Elijah. I'm sorry I-"

Elijah held up his hand to silence her.

"Alexandra, go do what you must do. I've lived for over a thousand year. I do believe that I can afford a rain check."

Lexi hugged him quickly and exited. She hadn't really been paying attention from the moment she'd laid her eyes on her pager. If she had perhaps she have noticed the original vampire tense at the hug. Maybe she'd have seen how unfamiliar he was with the simple gesture. Even if she had been paying attention however, she wouldn't have seen the kind smile Elijah sent her way as she left.

**Lesson Number Four: Death is flexible.**


	5. Lesson Number Five

"Hey, Lexapidia who was that dude you were with last night," Alex asked bluntly as he sat down at same table as her in the cafeteria.

Lexie felt her heart rate pick up.

"What guy," she asked, pretending to be confused.

"The guy you were arm raping last night. I saw you guys pass Joe's."

Meredith and Christina joined them, followed by April and Jackson.

"I wasn't arm raping him. I just didn't want to fall behind," Lexie mumbled.

Alex shrugged and shoved more chips into his mouth.

"What are you talking about," Meredith asked.

"Lexi's two timing Sloan."

"What! Lexie how could you," April gasped.

Lexie looked up from her chart and frowned at them all vehemently.

"Just because I walk next to a guy doesn't mean I'm dating him."

Christina snorted.

"No, but one of the nurses saw you two at a, and I quote, 'dimly lit and very romantic' restaurant," Alex continued, before taking a large bite of his sandwich.

"He's an old friend. We were just catching up while he's in town," Lexie insisted, her stomach squirming nervously.

Alex held up a finger as he swallowed.

"And apparently you two were holding hands and leaning close to each other," he added before taking another bite.

"Wait, are you really cheating on him," Jackson asked."I mean I heard the nurses talking, but I didn't think it was true."

Lexie felt her stomach drop.

"No, im not,"the brunette insisted.

"Guys if Lexie says she not then she's not," Meredith cut in."You aren't are you?"

"No!"

"See there you have it," Meredith concluded.

Lexi gathered her charts together and left. Now that the brunette's attention had been drawn to it, she did notice the nurses whispering in her direction. She had almost made it to Mark's room when her phone began to vibrate in her pocket. With an agitated huff Lexi pulled the phone out.

"This is ."

"Why so short, Alexandra?"

Lexi changed directions and went into an on call room, locking the door behind her.

"The people I work with saw us together last night."

"And this affects your mood how exactly?"

"We'll it's not exactly good when the entire hospital is talking about me and you holding hand while the great love of my life is laying not twenty feet from the nurses station,"Lexi snapped, flopping onto one of the beds.

She could swear she almost heard Elijah laughing on the other end.

"It's not funny! Plus the hospital is in trouble because of the law suit,"she continued, rubbing her forehead.

"What suit," Elijah asked, his voice suddenly taking on a serious note.

"The other doctors involved in the crash decided to sue,"Lexi explained tiredly.

"I see."

"Yep, and the courts ruled in our favor. They're awarding us each fifteen million dollars each, but the catch is that the hospital has to pay it, which they obviously can't afford todo."

"Why don't you just let the hospital fail then?"

"Because it's our home and it deserves us at least trying to save it."

There was a pause.

"I have another deal for you, Alexandra."

"What is it,"Lexi asked cautiously.

"I will save the hospital and in return you will work on something for me."

Lexi's heart leapt into her throat.

"What! You could do that?"

"Yes, quite easily in fact."

Lexi bite her lip.

"What do you want me todo?"

"I want you to study my blood and the blood of other vampires."

"Holy shit."

"Do we have a deal, Alexandra?"

Lexi took a shuttering breath.

"Yes."

**Lesson Number Five: Death is curious.**


	6. Lesson Number Six

A month came and went with no word from Elijah. Mark was discharged and had begun to work again. He and Lexi had agreed to take it slow so the younger Grey was still living in her sisters attic. Things had almost returned to normal. When Elijah made his presence known once more.

Lexie daunted over to the nurses station, a smile plastered across her face.

"Successful surgery ," a nurse asked from behind her station.

"Very," Lexi nodded happily.

She grabbed another chart and headed to her next patient.

"Hello Alexandra."

Lexi froze before whipping around to face Elijah. He was just as calm as ever as he stood before her in an expensive looking dark blue suit. The first few buttons of his maroon dress shirt were undone and there was a rectangular package under his arm.

"Elijah, wh- what are you doing here?"

He removed the package from under his arm and held it out to her. Lexi took it slowly, the parchment wrapping crinkling under her fingers.

"Put that on, and come with me."

"I can't just leave, Elijah. I have another surgery in a couple of hours," Lexi argued with a frown.

"I've had it rescheduled."

Lexi bristled.

"You what?"

"I believe you heard me the first time,"he replied, a ghost of a smile on his face.

Lexi floundered completely abashed and horrified with Elijah.

"I'm only joking, Alexandra. Don't look so cross,"Elijah admitted, smirking at her.

Lexi smacked his arm harshly.

"You almost gave me an aneurysm," she hissed, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry, is there a problem here," Derek asked, stepping up behind Lexi.

Elijah held his hand out to Derek.

"Elijah Mikaelson," he introduced.

Derek eyed him with suspicion but returned the gesture. He cast Lexi a side glance, trying to gage her emotional state.

"Derek Sheperd. What brings you here today," he asked with an approprate amount of prefessional kindness.

"My reason for being here will become clear shortly," Elijah answered, a cunning gleam in his eyes.

"I see," Derek responded slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If you'll excuse us, and we need to see our next patient."

Elijah nodded once and put his hands into his pant pockets.

"Of course, please,"Elijah agreed, motioned for them to leave.

"Right, nice meeting you,"Derek covered, beginning to turn away.

Lexi gave Elijah and apologetic smile before moving to follow Derek.

"Oh, and Alexandra?"

Lexi and Derek both paused to look at Elijah.

"Um, yes,"Lexi asked.

"While I understand now is not a good time, we do need to speak."

Lexi nodded.

"Okay, when would you like to meet,"she asked, holding her chart to her chest.

Elijah cast a weary yet amused glance in the direction of the nurses station.

"I shall text you the information needed,"he concluded with one final nod, before turning and confidently walking away.

Lexi turned back to Derek, to find him staring at her questioningly.

"What,"Lexi challenged tersely.

"Nothing,"Derek conceded, turning away."Come one, we've got work to do."

Lexi went with him after depositing the package into her cubbie.

**Lesson Number Six: Death has a flare for the dramatic.**


End file.
